Since its resurrection under Chinese ownership, Moto Morini has four models in its line-up, all powered by some variation of a 650cc parallel-twin. However, the Italian marque appears to be gearing up for a comeback in the large-capacity adventure bike segment, after a hiatus of nearly four years, as can be seen from these leaked images of its production-ready X-Cape 1200 adventure bike.
The styling of the X-Cape 1200 is very
familiar and bears a striking resemblance to its younger sibling, the X-Cape
650 and hasn’t differed much from its design sketches that surfaced earlier
this year. This resemblance is no bad thing in our eyes and the X-Cape 1200
appears to be a handsome machine. The golden rims are a nice touch as well and
seem to take inspiration from the Moto Morini X-Cape ADV-R showcased at EICMA
2022.
The liquid-cooled, 1,187cc, Bialbero
CorsaCorta V-Twin engine on duty here can trace its roots back to 2004, but
will have been updated to meet the stringent Euro-5 emission norms. It remains
to be seen what kind of output figures this engine makes, considering it's
returning to the market after quite some time. To give you a reference, in the
now-discontinued Granpasso 1200 adventure bike, this V-Twin engine was rated
for 118hp and 104Nm of torque.
Considering it will be going up against
some stiff competition in the heavyweight ADV segment, there will likely be a
full suite of electronic rider aids on offer. Moto Morini has also packed in
premium componentry, such as radial Brembo monobloc calipers, Pirelli Scorpion Rally
STR tyres and LED lights all around. With some off-road credibility baked in
thanks to its large bash plate, wire-spoke rims and block-pattern tyres,
switchable ABS is likely to be on offer as well. The rider’s triangle appears
to be quite roomy with a large, generously padded seat for the pillion as well,
conducive to spending long days in the saddle without discomfort.
